Meet Ana Miminoshvili, a Graphic Designer and Illustrator from Tbilisi, Georgia. There have been a lot of changes in Ana’s life recently—from moving to a new apartment to going full-time freelance after being employed at an agency. Read why she’s trying to take things slow and make more time for herself these days. While she claims her new home workspace is still in progress, we think it looks great! Keep reading and see for yourself.
Where do you work? Tell us about your space.
Currently, I work from home. I just moved to a new apartment and I’m kind of in the middle of setting up my home studio. Sometimes, I also work from coffee shops and cafes, even from birthday parties. But my favorite place to work is on an airplane because there are no distractions and it’s the best way to pass the time while being up in the air (having lunch at thirty-five thousand feet above ground is also a great perk).
What hardware and software do you use to create your designs?
Before I get into hardware and software, my sketchbook and pencil come first—then I take my work to digital. I work with a 13” Apple MacBook Pro. I use a variety of Adobe applications because I work on illustrations, graphic design, as well as web design and I’m kind of in the process of learning how to animate. I use the following apps in this order: Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe XD, Adobe Indesign, and Adobe After Effects. I also use an iPad Pro to make illustrations and sketches with Procreate.
Tell us about your routine (or lack of one.) How do you structure your days to get things done?
The only consistent thing that I can think of in my routine is that I turn the music on first thing in the morning and it doesn’t go off until I go to bed. I’m used to working at an agency, which meant coming home for just sleeping and literally living at the office. Now, I’m taking things a bit slower. I workout in the morning and try to go outside often for sketching—that’s one of my favorite activities. I don’t have a strict routine yet since it’s been just a few months since I went full-time freelance, so I’m still figuring things out.
How do your space, tools, and habits benefit you? What about those things do you think needs improvement?
I have natural sunlight hitting my desk which is great, but I still prefer working at night with nothing but a table lamp on. I benefit a lot from keeping a journal and to-do lists. Right now, I’m looking for a perfect office chair to improve my home studio.
Are you new to freelancing like Ana, or thinking about taking the leap yourself? Regardless of whatever stage you’re at, if you’re interested in learning more about what it’s like to be a freelance designer, we’ve got you covered! Check out:
-Dribbble Interview: Product designer Juan Arreguin on the freedom of freelancing
-How Joanna Behar turned a passion project into a full-time job
-Top 7 cities for freelance design nomads
Want to keep up with Ana? Find her on Dribbble and Instagram.
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